Talk about a wild day for travel. Air Canada today (Feb. 9) said it’s suspending all flights into Cuba due to an aviation fuel shortage, and will operate flights to bring home some 3,000 Canadians currently visiting the island nation. WestJet followed suit later in the day, saying it was beginning an “orderly wind down” of winter flights to Cuba for WestJet, WestJet Vacations, Sunwing Vacations and Vacances WestJet Quebec. Around 8:30 p.m. ET, Air Transat posted a note on its website saying it would suspend operations to Cuba from now until April 30, 2026. “Due to a jet fuel Read more
Caribbean
Fresh off a new record for visitors to the Bahamas, Porter Airlines has announced new, direct flights to the island nation from Montreal. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation recently announced the nation last year welcome a record 12.5 million visitors. Visitor arrivals grew 11.4% year-over-year, surpassing 2024’s record and exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 levels by more than 70%. This growth underscores the strength and resilience of demand across global markets. Canada continues to emerge as one of The Bahamas’ fastest-growing markets, with year-round arrivals now surpassing pre-pandemic levels, driven by strong demand from Ontario and Quebec and expanding Read more
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, which makes it a perfect time to fire up the romance quotient with a weekend getaway to a great hotel, or a fine meal at a top restaurant. Here are some suggestions from Skyscanner on romantic places to visit. I also have some deals I found for Canadian hotels and restaurants, as well as some in the U.S. SKYSCANNER VALENTINE’S DAY SUGGESTIONS Skyscanner’s recent Travel Trends 2026 Report revealed that an overwhelming one in two people choose to travel not merely to see new places, but explicitly to reconnect with loved ones and build Read more
Japan rules the tourism world. A new look at the world’s best cities gives the top spot on the podium to Osaka, with Kyoto in the bronze medal spot and five Japanese destinations/cities in the top 12 in the world. Yanolja Research recently published its Global Tourism City Attractiveness Index, which it says “objectively measures the attractiveness of global tourism cities from the perspective of tourists—the actual demand side of tourism.” This index directly reflects how tourists perceive and evaluate the appeal and popularity of tourism cities. It is derived through sentiment analysis and the measurement of positive and Read more
According to travel app Skyscanner’s latest research, while 66% of Canadians are planning to head abroad in 2026, only 48% have taken the plunge and booked their flights. Destination indecision and concerns over cost are reported as the biggest booking barriers, as nearly half (45%) share they are still deciding on destination, and 43% are still trying to find the best deals. Canadian travellers’ perception of flight pricing in 2026 is not the reality of the great value deals on offer. While 69% of Canadians think their round-trip flights are going to cost more than $500 this year, Read more
